Pen and Sword
by magician93
Summary: The story of the unlikely relationship among two former enemies
1. Chapter 1

Levy had her nose buried in the document she was supposed to be translating for a new client. She had taken up an entire table in the guild hall, and made a fort of books around her; all the books she thought she might need for this particular assignment, all within the arm's reach. She was in full battle mode (if breaking down complex new languages into layman text could be counted as battle), with her hair tied in a knot behind her head and her uncharacteristically large glasses. She was so focused on her work that she didn't even notice when Gajeel sat down on the chair opposite her.

"Hey shrimp" he said. She nearly jumped out of her skin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I brought you some lunch. You've been working on that document for four days straight. I miss you. Why don't you take a break?" "It's noon already? I didn't notice". Gajeel grinned. "Hardly surprising", he mused, and added in an undertone, "but it's refreshing watching you work your magic. You're awesome. You know that, right?" She blushed furiously. That's what she loved about their relationship. To the others in the guild and the outside world in general, Gajeel was this powerful, manly and badass dragon slayer. But with her, he was also sensitive, funny, and relaxed. She loved that she was the only one who got to see this side of him; it made her feel really special.

"Sure, I could use a breather. Let's take the lunch outside, and have a picnic. It's a lovely day". Gajeel beamed. He loved taking long walks with her. He loved how petite and cute she was; how she had to practically run to keep up with him. He loved teasing her by putting stuff out of her reach. The face she made when he did that always made him chuckle. But she didn't mind. It was one of the ways he showed affection.

It was a cool, breezy day. Gajeel was walking, picnic basket and sheet in hand, and Levy was trying to keep up, a book clutched against her chest. "What did you bring that for?" he asked, eyeing the book with exasperation, "I don't want to compete against a book for your attention". She chuckled. "I have to do _something_ when you nap under the tree after eating like an elephant". He grunted in response. It was true. Every time they went out to lunch together he would eat a mountain and take a nice nap. She took a couple of steps before noticing that he had stopped. She turned around and asked, "What's up? Why'd you stop?" "I'm sorry", he said darkly. "What for?" she asked. She looked where he was, and immediately realized what he was talking about. They had decided to cut through the park, and had come across the tree to which he had nailed her and her team. She walked up to him, and gave him a hug. He was quite tall, and she only reached his chest. "I've told you, you don't have to keep apologizing for that. That was a long time ago, and you've really changed". He wrapped his free arm around her and kissed her forehead. "You know, I-" "I know". She cut him off. He didn't have to say anything. "Let's go". She took his arm and pulled him along. He caught up with her and smiled to himself. He knew he was incredibly lucky to have her, and swore to himself to do everything in his power to protect her till his last breath.

After that he eased up quite a bit, and they reached their favorite spot; a large tree just outside the forest, and grassland stretching out for miles on the other side. He spread the sheet and they both sat down, and opened the basket. He had packed Mirajane's delicious Ham sandwiches and some orange juice. They each took one, and he started wolfing it down. "Slow down cowboy, what's the rush?" she asked. He shrugged and downed his bottle of juice in one gigantic gulp. "Ah, refreshing" he slurped. After a while, they were done eating, and Gajeel sat against the tree. He spread his arms wide and motioned for her to cuddle. She gladly accepted, resting her back to his chest, and opened her book. "Hey, why don't you read it to me, let's see what you find so interesting" he said. "Really?" she asked, positively beaming. "Okay, here we go. The Eurithanian is one of the toughest languages to learn and translate. Most of the meaning of sentences relies heavily on the context, with the same sentence meaning different things in different situations. However, the one part that is actually easy is-" she stopped mid-sentence, since Gajeel was fake snoring. She punched him playfully and they both burst into laughter. He stopped before her, closed his eyes and enjoyed her tinkling laugh. Turning her around, he kissed her deeply. After what seemed an eternity, they broke off. Levy was caught off guard and felt dizzy. "Uh I, um-" she started, but he cut her off. "I know, shrimp" he said, and smiled.

"We made such a good team on Tenrou island, let's do some missions together. That way we'll get to spend even more time together" Levy said, clearing her throat. "I would love that!" he exclaimed. "Well, the document you're currently working on is supposed to be sent in the mail to Badger island, right? Why don't you hand-deliver it, and I will come along as your bodyguard?" "That'll be awesome!" she said, "in that case, I'd better go finish it up". "I'll go run a couple of errands in the meantime. Why not we meet in the guild, and you come to my place afterwards? I'll cook, and you can stay over", he said. "Sounds great. Let's make a couple of changes to the plan though. Why don't _you_ come over to _my_ place, and _I'll_ cook. Pack your bags and bring 'em too, we can leave tomorrow for Badger island" she said. "Done". With that, they got up, and left for the guild, hand in hand.

There was a knock at Levy's door in the evening. She opened it, and Gajeel walked in, a solitary drawstring bag slung over his shoulder. "That's it? That's what you're carrying for the mission?" she asked, surprised. "Yep, I like to travel light". Her hair was disheveled, and her apron was covered with flour. The kitchen was a mess too, with a couple of cookbooks lying around and several pots and pans with burnt food in the sink. "What happened here?" he asked. Levy shot him a sheepish look and said, "Well, you know, I offered to cook since we always eat at your place, but the thing is, um, you know, I've been meaning to tell you-" "You can't cook", Gajeel said, grinning. "Fine! It's true, okay? I did everything those damned cookbooks said but I kept burning everything". "Books can't help you in everything, shrimp" he said, with a consoling smile. "Come on, I'll teach you". He walked over to the cookbooks and checked what she was trying to make. "Ah, pasta!". "Please help me", she squeaked. "Sure, come on".


	2. Chapter 2

They had a lovely dinner. Gajeel cooked up some delicious pasta. They had a lot of fun cooking, throwing flour at each other. However, that did make the clean up afterwards that much harder. After everything was back in its place, they got into bed, and Levy was asleep within minutes. All the playing around really tired her out. Gajeel watched her sleep, the rhythmic rising and falling of her chest. She looked even cuter while sleeping. He smiled, kissed her on her forehead, wrapped her in his arms and fell asleep.

Levy woke up early in the morning to find her head buried in Gajeel's chest and wrapped in his cuddle. She blushed, realizing that they had cuddled all night and that Gajeel had really wanted to. She wriggled herself free, got out of bed and tied her hair. She walked around the house, quickly gathering clothes and a couple of books for the mission and tossed them in her bag. Then, she went to the bathroom, took off her clothes and hopped in the shower.

Levy's bustling woke Gajeel up. He was a little groggy. He got up and looked around. He could hear the shower running. Grinning slyly, he got out of bed, and tiptoed towards the bathroom door. Levy had left it open. He snuck in, took off all his clothes and hopped in behind her. She was too busy shampooing her hair and didn't notice him. It was only when he wrapped his arms around her that she realized he was there. "Hey! You're up", she said, turning around, shampoo still in her hair. She stood on the tip of her toes and tried to kiss him. He looked up, putting his lips just out of her reach. "Hey!" she said, annoyed. He smirked, bent down and picked her up she wrapped her legs around his waist. He looked into her eyes and said, "I love you so much". "I love you too", she said, blushing. They kissed deeply. He then put her down, and started cleaning her silky soft hair. He loved running his fingers through them.

After about an hour in the shower, during which they did other things too, they got out and got dressed. The journey to Badger island was a long one. It took the entire day. "How're we getting there?" Gajeel asked, as they walked through town. He had just realized that he had no idea of the travel arrangements. "We'll take the train from Magnolia to the harbor, and take the overnight ferry from there to Badger", said Levy, consulting her itinerary. They made a stop at the guild and got some food from Mira. Then, they walked all the way to Magnolia's train station. It was fairly uneventful, except for the fact that Levy kept checking to make sure she didn't forget something every five minutes. Gajeel kept reassuring her, but gave up after the tenth time. There was a bit of a wait at the train station, but they managed to be one of the first ones that got on and got a wide choice of seats. They chose one in the back of that carriage and sat down, opposite each other. "Well, we should reach the harbor at about three in the afternoon, that's a four hour journey", Levy said, checking her watch. "Perfect!" she continued, "I can double check my work once!". Gajeel groaned. "So I'm going to be stuck here for four hours with nothing to do". Levy looked at him lovingly and said, "I'm sorry, but this is important. We'll spend time together on the ferry, I promise. I'll finish this once and for all, and then on the ferry I'm all yours". Gajeel grunted in response.

For the next four hours, Gajeel busied himself with looking out the window at the passing scenery, and when that didn't work, he fell asleep on the seat (since Levy had occupied most of the table in between with her books), with a comically large, anime-quintessential snot bubble. Levy looked up briefly and chuckled to herself. No matter what he thought, Gajeel did look cute when he was sleeping. She stared at him for a while before realizing she still had work to do and got back to her translation.

Gajeel was jolted awake by the train's horn. He didn't even realize Levy was shaking him furiously, trying to get him to wake up. "Come on Gajeel, we've reached! Wake up!" she shouted. He woke up, slung his bag across his shoulder and clutching Levy's hand, jumped off the train. They then walked to the harbor, and checked if their ferry had arrived. "Sorry, the ferry is running late", said the attendant, "it will depart in an hour". "Well, we have an hour here, why don't we check out this town?" Levy suggested. Gajeel grunted in response. It was a nice, quiet town, and the only sounds they could hear were seagulls and the occasional ship's horn. As they walked on the stone cobbled street, They saw a lot of fishermen hauling their catch, haggling with merchants, and setting up shop to sell their wares. As they walked further, they saw a fair; a regular one, with food stalls and also others with games. "Hey! That looks like fun!" Levy squealed and holding Gajeel's hand, dragged him over to one where you had to pop balloons with an air rifle. "Okay guys, what will you be playing for?" asked the guy at the stall. "How about that cute stuffed panda?" Levy's eyes were sparkling. Gajeel chuckled. "You go first, shrimp". "Okay". Saying so, Levy picked up the rifle and shot ten pellets, and managed to pop two of the balloons. Her face fell comically. The guy reattached two balloons, resetting the count to ten. "Hey! Let me try. Same prize", said Gajeel, stepping up. Levy offered him the rifle, but he refused. Turning his arm into a pin missile, he fired ten shots at once and popped all balloons. "Are you guys wizards?" asked the attendant in awe. "Yep, Fairy Tail!" replied Gajeel, grinning. "Such an honor to meet you! Here's your stuffed panda" said the attendant, offering it to Levy. Gajeel glanced at his watch as he extended his arms, and gasped. "We should be getting back for the ferry shrimp", he said, "thanks a lot! Have a great day!" "You too!" waved the attendant as they rushed back.

The whole way back, Levy had her face buried in the panda clutched against her chest. The top of her forehead was visible, which was red. "What's up shorty?" asked Gajeel. Levy looked at him, blushing furiously. "You shouldn't have" she squeaked, "thank you!". She gave him a big hug, stopping him in his tracks. "It was nothing, shrimp", he said, awkwardly patting the top of her head. "I've been meaning to tell you, um, I mean-" Levy muttered. "Come on, we'll miss the ferry!" he said. "I just… I love you!" she blurted out loudly. It was Gajeel's turn to blush. Composing himself, he said under his breath, "I love you too, shorty", and kissed the top of her head. Levy broke the hug, put her arm in his and they walked off towards the ferry.


	3. Chapter 3

Once on the ferry, they had an overnight journey ahead of them. A steward showed them to their room. It was compact, and had a circular window through which they could see the sea. "Wow, who's paying for this?" asked Gajeel, tipping the steward. "Well, I am at the moment. But the client is going to reimburse me for it. He was practically jumping with joy when I told him I'm going to hand-deliver it. He said he really wanted to meet Fairy Tail wizards". "Awesome! Well, I want to revisit our earlier conversation" he said, hugging her from behind. Levy blushed, yet again. "If you keep blushing so much, the color of your face may change permanently", said Gajeel, grinning. They sat on the bed. He stroked her hair lovingly. He kissed her neck from behind, nibbled her ear and whispered, "Although, when you do blush, you look so cute that it gives me butterflies in my stomach. I don't know what I'd do without you". Levy went so red she looked like she was about to explode. She turned around and kissed Gajeel deeply. After what seemed like an eternity, they broke off, and she lay her head against his chest, while he continued stroking her hair. "You wanna take a stroll on the deck?" Gajeel suggested. Levy moaned. "Let's just stay like this for some more time". Gajeel smiled. "Sure, shrimp".

About an hour later, they put their clothes back on (wink wink) and headed out the door to the deck. It was a bright day, with a little wind. There were a lot of people on the deck, talking, laughing, and generally enjoying themselves. But Gajeel's gaze was pulled to two men in black coats and hats, standing in the corner and whispering among themselves. He tried to listen in using his sharp dragon slayer senses, but couldn't make out the language. They smelled funny too. Levy noticed him staring. "What's going on?" she asked. "Something's not right. Those men are suspicious" he replied. "How do you know?" she asked. "Call it a dragon slayer's intuition, but I think those guys are up to no good". "Forget them, come on, let's walk around the deck", she said, dragging him by his arm. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind for the moment, and enjoyed the scene with her. They had dinner in the cafeteria and went back to their room to retire for the night.

The next morning, they woke up, got dressed, and walked out to the deck to see the ferry pulling into Badger Island's harbor. "When are we going back?" asked Gajeel. "Well", said Levy sheepishly, "we could return right after I hand the document to the client, but I thought we could spend the weekend here". Gajeel grinned. "Absolutely! I would love that!" Levy beamed. "Well, today is Friday, and we'll be done by noon, so we'll have more than two days here. We're taking the overnight ferry on Sunday". "Lovely! Let's go!" Gajeel said, visibly excited.

They decided to head straight to the client's given address. It was an hour's walk. They stopped for breakfast in what looked like a market cum restaurant. Gajeel was eyeing the spoons and forks hungrily. Levy chuckled. "Remember, they're not for eating", she said. Gajeel was broken out of his reverie. "Yeah, I know", he said sheepishly. After they had had their fill, they set out walking again, and reached the address a little before noon.

It was a nice little cottage, with an assortment of vegetables growing in the garden. There was a woman who was picking them in a cute little wicker basket. "Hello!" Levy called out to her, "Is this Mr. Taylor's house". "Yes, it is, sweetheart. Who are you?" the woman asked, with a kind smile on her face. "I'm Levy, I was assigned to do some translation for Mr. Taylor". "Oh, yes!" the woman said, "Honey! The girl from Fairy Tail is here to see you!" There was an immediate rushing sound from inside the house. The door flew open, and out ran a man in a nightgown. "Hello! Such a pleasure to meet both of you! Do come in!" he said, shaking them both by their hands. "Delia, could you make some tea?" he asked the woman. "Of course!" she said and disappeared into the kitchen. Gajeel and Levy sat down on the sofa, while Mr. Taylor sat down in a cozy armchair across from it. "Here is the translated document, Mr. Taylor", said Levy, handing him the piece of paper. "Oh, please, call me Adam", he said jovially. "Let's see what we have here". Adam put on reading glasses and examined Levy's work. "Looks good, really good. Great job!" Levy beamed. Delia walked in with the tea, and everyone picked up a cup and took a sip. "You two make a cute couple", said Delia. Levy and Gajeel both coughed and blushed. Delia smiled. "How long have you been together?" she asked. "About four months", said Levy. "Wow! Not only did we get to meet two Fairy Tail wizards, but they're also a couple! What are the chances?" said Adam excitedly. The four of them talked on for a little more time, Adam paid Levy for the work and travel, and they took their leave. "Do visit again sometime!" Delia shouted to their retreating backs. Gajeel and Levy smiled and waved.

"Well, that's done, what should we do now?" asked Gajeel. Levy yawned. "Well, I'm a little tired. Why don't we take a nap?" "Nah, I'm not tired. You go ahead, I'm going to take a stroll around this island. It's an interesting place". "Well, of course you're not tired, you haven't actually been doing anything", said Levy, playfully punching him. He dropped her off that their inn, and proceeded to take a nice, long walk. Levy fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. In what seemed like no time at all, she was woken up by Gajeel opening the door to the room. "Hey Gajeel!", she said sleepily. "Hey shrimp" he said. He looked visibly agitated. "They're here, shrimp", he said. "Who's here?", she asked rubbing her eyes. "The men in the black coats. They're here on the island. I can't shake the feeling that they're up to no good".


	4. Chapter 4

"Come on, don't you think you're being a little paranoid?" asked Levy, yawning. "No, I can just feel it in my gut. It's making me uneasy. I need your help". Levy sat bolt upright. "Wow, you've never asked me for help on a mission before", she said. "We're a team. Of course I'm going to need your help". "Okay, what do you need?" "Well, they seem to be speaking a language I have never heard. Is there a way you can try to translate it?" he asked. "Well, I can cast a camouflage rune and we can follow them from a distance", said Levy, closing her eyes and thinking. "Yes, and I can repeat what they're saying and you can translate it", he said. Levy beamed. "What happened to you?" asked Gajeel. "Not only do we make a great couple, we also make a great team!". Gajeel smiled. "Of course we do". Levy grabbed a piece of paper and her Light Pen, and they both headed out.

"So where are they?", she asked. Gajeel closed his eyes and tried to see if he could catch a whiff of their trail. "This way", he said, taking Levy's hand and leading her ahead. The sun had begun to set and the day was getting dimmer by the minute. "The night will give us better cover", said Levy, "Lily would've enjoyed this. When is he due back from Edolas?" "I have no idea", said Gajeel, scratching his chin. They walked on for about twenty minutes, when Gajeel suddenly stopped. "There they are", he said under his breath. Levy promptly took out her Light Pen and cast the camouflage rune. The two men were standing under a tree in the market, whispering among themselves. Gajeel used his sharp hearing and repeated everything they were saying to Levy, who began scribbling on her piece of paper. The one with his back to them was looking at something in his hands, but they couldn't make out what it was. After a while, he seemed convinced and said something to the other one, who nodded and headed off. The first one lingered for a while and set off too, albeit in the opposite direction.

"That's weird, why are they separating?", wondered Gajeel. "Should we follow them? If we split up we can keep an eye on both of them", asked Levy. "No, let's keep together", said Gajeel. Levy breathed a sigh of relief. "I was hoping you would say that", she said sheepishly. Gajeel grinned. "Come on, give yourself some credit. You would be able to handle yourself in a fight", he said, "Did you get all they said?" "I did, but it's not a language I can translate off the top of my head. I'm going to need to refer to the couple of books I brought from the guild, back at the inn", she said. "Should we follow them?", said Gajeel, looking longingly in the direction of the first man. "No", said Levy firmly, "Let's get back to the inn and translate this. That way we'll know for sure what they're up to". Gajeel groaned. "You win, shrimp. Let's head back".

Gajeel carefully surveyed the surrounding area and made sure there was no one in sight. When he was convinced, he gave Levy the thumbs up and she undid the runes she had cast. It was close to midnight now, and night had fallen completely. They walked back to the inn, entered their room and Levy got straight down to the translation. "I thought you were going to that tomorrow morning", said Gajeel. "Well, if you're right and they really are up to something, the sooner we know what it is, the better", said Levy, all business-like. "Well, I'm going to sleep", he said. Levy smirked. "Big surprise", she muttered. "You're one to talk. You slept in the afternoon, while I was strolling around the island", Gajeel remarked. Levy elbowed him. Gajeel grinned. "Anyway, carry on. I'm off to bed".

Gajeel's sleep was punctuated by dreams. He kept imagining various scenarios of what the two men could be up to. Many theories came to mind, but none concrete enough to warrant action. He secretly hoped he would get to fight them. It was a long time since he was in a real battle, and he was beginning to get rusty (pun intended). There was also the matter of the unease he kept feeling when he caught their scent? What was that feeling? He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Was it déjà vu? Had he met them before? Something about them seemed familiar, almost comfortable. No, that couldn't be it. Dragon slayers never forgot scents, and he would know right away if he'd met them before. He got the vague feeling that something was moving near him. He couldn't make out what. He then realized someone was trying to wake him up. He opened his eyes to find Levy shaking him vigorously. "What's going on?", he asked groggily. "I finished translating what they were saying", she said. He was jolted awake. "And?", he asked eagerly. She swallowed. "You were right. They are up to something for sure".

"What do you mean? Why're you so scared? What were they saying?", he asked, pulling her into a cuddle to calm her down. "Oh my, you're shaking", he said. "They're after the document", she said. "The one you gave Adam?" asked Gajeel. "Yes. They were saying, um-". She hesitated. "What is it? It's me. You can tell me anything", he said, seriously worried now. Tears started flowing down her face. "They were saying, 'the girl delivered the document to the Taylors. Now we need to decide how to get our hands on it'. Then, the second guy said, 'Who's the other guy who came with her? You said she would come alone. This is going to be difficult'. 'Don't worry, we have a contingency plan. We will deal with both of them. For now, we need to see if we can find a way to get our hands on that document'. Then they both took off", she looked up at him, and said, "Why are you smiling?" "I will finally get to bash someone's head in!" "That's what you got from that?!", Levy shrieked, "They're after the document, and they're going to get rid of me once they get it!" She buried her head in her hands and started crying.

Suddenly, Gajeel's soothing voice cut through to her. "Hey shrimp, look at me". She looked up at him. "Remember what I said when I proposed we take this mission together? I'm your bodyguard. I ain't gonna let anything happen to you. That, I promise. We're a team. We'll deal with this. We're from Fairy Tail, after all. That's what we do". Levy calmed down a little at this. "What about the Taylors? What will those two do to them?" "Nothing tonight". "How do you know that?" "Because if they were going to do something, they would've gone in that direction together, but they went their own ways after the meeting, and none of them went in the direction of the Taylors' house", he said. "How about this? We'll go to their place first thing in the morning and warn them". "Okay", Levy squeaked. "Come now, get some rest". Saying so, he pulled her into his cuddle again, and drew the blanket over them.


	5. Chapter 5

Gajeel woke up fairly early in the morning. Levy was in his arms, breathing steadily. She was going to wake up much later, since she had been up translating late at night, thought Gajeel to himself. Good, that gave him time to think and plan. He wriggled free and sat up. The truth was what Levy told him had scared him more than he let on. In that moment, he thought it would be better to appear calm to assuage Levy's panic. But now that he had his thoughts to himself, he could let his mind loose on what he truly thought.

He got up and started pacing around. The guys had been surprised that someone had accompanied Levy, which meant they had always planned on dealing with whoever delivered the document to the Taylors'. They also had a contingency plan in case someone did come with her, which meant his life was in danger too. That's not a problem, he thought. He had been in life threatening situations before. In fact, he liked fighting with his life on the line. But now that Levy was a target too, he needed to be careful. He couldn't just go charging like Natsu at whoever stood in his way. Thinking that, he smiled to himself a little. No, he needed a plan. The two men were highly organized, most likely wizards, and with the way his luck was, powerful.

He stopped pacing and looked at the clock in the room. It was 7 a.m. With any luck, he could return before Levy woke up. He wrote a quick note to Levy in case she did wake up, and left for the Taylors' house. On the way, he desperately tried catching a whiff of the two men, but couldn't. Feeling slightly relieved, he carried on. In due course, he reached the little cottage and stopped in his tracks. He caught the scent of the second one, the one taking orders. It was very faint but unmistakable. He had to rethink his approach of questioning the Taylors'. He had to get information, but without letting them know something was wrong in case it wasn't. After all, the man could've just been staking out the house. He entered the house, thinking of what to ask them. Little did he realize he wasn't going to need to.

Adam was holding his head in his hands, and Delia was trying to console him. The house was a mess, as if someone was trying to search for something. "Hey! What happened here?" he asked. He thought of asking about the man, but decided against it; the lesser information he volunteered, the better. He smiled to himself. Levy had taught him that. His resolve of protecting her increased.

"A man broke in last night. He grabbed me by the collar and kept shouting, 'where is the translation the Fairy Tail girl gave you?' I told him it was right there on the desk, but he took one look at it and screamed 'Liar!', and proceeded to tear the house apart looking for it. I kept telling him that was it, but he wasn't convinced!", Adam said, and got up. "Please, you have to protect us!", he said, grabbing Gajeel by the collar. "Darling, please let go of him", Delia squeaked. Gajeel grabbed Adam's hands and led him back to his chair. "We will, but we need some information", he said. "Sure, what do you want to know?" Adam asked, "Hey! Where's your partner?" "She's still asleep. I came early because I-" Gajeel considered what to say for a moment, "had an uneasy feeling". "Well, you were right about that" Delia said. "What was the document you gave Levy to translate?" asked Gajeel. "It's my father's work, he was a writer. He wrote a lot of interesting stuff, but lately he had begun writing everything in a different language. He wouldn't tell us why, and kept saying we had to get this translated after he passed on. I was just following his instructions when I asked your partner to translate it". "I'm sorry for your loss. If I may ask, when did he pass?" "Last month" "And what is in those documents?" "Why don't you just ask your partner?" "I would, but for one, she's asleep. Secondly, if it was something serious or remarkable she would've told me. But now that you were attacked, their has to be something important to those men in that document".

Adam suddenly looked up. "Men?", he asked. Oops, Gajeel thought to himself, he had slipped. Levy was the one who usually did the talking, so he wasn't used to it. Fortunately, this would not be hard to recover from. "Man, I mean man. Slip of tongue", he assured Adam. For a moment, he wasn't sure it worked, but Adam seemed convinced. Gajeel cleared his throat. "So as I was saying, there must be something in that document that is of interest to that man. What is it?" "I honestly don't know", said Adam, "it mostly looks like a random collection of words. Just some symbolism and stuff like that, nothing important. But I'm not surprised; father had gone mostly senile in the months leading up to his death. That's why I'm surprised why his ramblings would be this important to the burglar". "Can I see it?", asked Gajeel. Delia nodded, and got the document from their bedroom for him. Gajeel studied it carefully, and found nothing suspicious or out of order. "Can I keep this?", he asked. Adam nodded, and he put it in his pocket. "Oh, one more thing", he said. Raising his arm, he turned it to metal and fashioned a small bell out of it. "If you get any more trouble, ring this bell. It is made of metal from my own body, so I will know when you ring it. It's not as convenient as a communication lacrima, but it's not as obvious either", he said, handing it to them. They thanked him profusely and he went on his way.

As he walked back to the inn, his mind started to wander. Levy wasn't used to life threatening situations; she had never been on a dangerous mission, unless you counted Tenrou island. Now that she was in his life, there was absolutely nothing he wouldn't do to protect her. He loved every moment he spent with her, the walks, the dates, the picnics. He suddenly had a brainwave; something Levy said to him on their last picnic before they left for Badger Island. Promising himself that he would listen to what Levy said more often then on, he sprinted the rest of the distance.

He entered his room to find Levy awake and livid. "You went to the Taylors' without me? Why?!", she asked, enraged. Gajeel was taken aback a little. He had never seen this side of her. He made a mental note to never tick her off again. "You were sleeping. But that doesn't matter, I've solved it!" he cried. "What do you mean?" Gajeel told her everything that happened. Levy's expression transformed slowly from anger to worry. "Are they okay?", she asked. "They are. I gave them a bell to alert us in case they have any more trouble". "You said you solved it. What are the men after?" "The answer is not in the translation, but in the original document". "Please don't build up the suspense. Just tell me". "I'm getting there. If I remember correctly, you said you had to translate from multiple languages, right? You had a lot of books around you". "Right, but what does that have to do with the burglary?", she asked. "Think about it, the document was right there, but the burglar wasn't convinced. Which means he knows what the document contains. So, what if you made a mistake in translation?" Levy's eyes narrowed. "First you leave me, and now you're saying I'm not good at what I do?" Gajeel bit his tongue. He really needed to work on his talking skills.

"I mean what if, instead of multiple languages, what if it was written in only one language? One in which the meaning of sentences relies heavily on the context?" A bulb seemed to go off in Levy's head. "Eurithanian!" she exclaimed. "Exactly", he said. "You came to that all on your own? I'm impressed", said Levy in a sarcastic tone. "Hey! I'm smart! Maybe not as much as you, but-" Levy kissed him before he could complete his sentence. "Of course you are. I was just messing with you".


	6. Chapter 6

"So can you translate this?", asked Gajeel. "Well, luckily, I brought the book on Eurithanian. I can try", said Levy. "We need a sure thing here", said Gajeel, "How can I help?" Levy mulled it over. "You could try tailing the men, see what they're up to", she said. "Well, now that we know they're after you and subsequently me, I think we should stay together at all times", he said. "Is that the only reason you want to stay together?", asked Levy slyly. Gajeel grinned. "What do you think?", he asked. "Well, you get to translating. I'll stay here with you", said Gajeel.

For the next two hours, Levy translated at lightning speed. The speed with which her hands were flying on the piece of paper made Gajeel's head spin. So he busied himself with coming up with a plan. It was very likely that they were being watched. With his luck, they were being followed too. Could he use that to their advantage? There were too many people in and around the inn at the moment; even if one or both of those men were around, Gajeel doubted he would be able to sniff them out. In any case, he had to come up with a plan if they were powerful wizards. He had called Fairy Tail while coming back from the Taylors' and made a request. Now would be a good time for that to happen. He decided to not wait on it and work as if it won't.

Gajeel was shaken out of his reverie by Levy shouting excitedly. "What's going on, shrimp? Did you finish translating?", he asked. "It's a treasure map!", Levy shouted excitedly. Gajeel smiled. He knew how much she loved treasure hunts and puzzles in general. His heart swelled with admiration for her. Watching her snuggling in his lap with her glasses on and solving puzzles was one of his favorite activities. "So, what does it say?", he asked. "It's a poem!", she exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. She cleared her throat and started reading:

 _Oh hunter, with care must you seek,_

 _For this treasure is not for the meek;_

 _But if you must, make haste and dash,_

 _To the place that spews lava and ash._

"Lava and ash? That must mean a volcano!", said Gajeel excitedly, "Is there a volcano on this island?" "Well, I had read once that there was a dormant one around here somewhere". "You read too much". Levy chuckled. "There's a small mountain range on this island, maybe one of them is a volcano. I'll just check at the local library, assuming someone around here doesn't already know it". Just then, Gajeel skin began to tingle. "The Taylors are ringing the bell", said Gajeel, alarmed. "It's okay, go to them. I'll find out about the volcano", said Levy. For a moment, Gajeel hesitated. "I will be fine. I am a wizard too, you know", she said. "I know", said Gajeel, "It's just, we decided to stick together. If anything happened to you-", he said, stopping suddenly. Picking Levy up, he brought her closer and kissed her. She was startled for a moment, but wrapped her legs around Gajeel's legs and kissed him back the next. He let go and put her down. Kissing her forehead, he said, "Please be safe. You are everything to me. I love you". Levy blushed. "You're not getting rid of me that easily", she whispered. Grinning, Gajeel set off.

He sprinted to the Taylors' house, and burst in the door. Delia was kneeling on the ground, crying into her handkerchief. "What happened?", asked Gajeel. "The robber took Adam!", Delia wailed. "Oh no! Levy!", screamed Gajeel. Delia looked up. "What's going on?", she asked. "If they took Adam, she's in trouble too! I have to go back! I will find Adam too, I promise", he assured Delia. "Thank you", she whispered gratefully. He sprinted all the way back too, his mind racing with thoughts. Reaching the inn, he went straight to his room. Levy wasn't there. He remembered her saying she was going to the library. He raced to the reception and asked the attendant, "Where's the local library?" After getting directions from him, he sprinted in that direction. He could see the library approaching, but suddenly stopped cold in his tracks. He could smell Levy. Her scent was intertwined with the other man's. He cried in exasperation. He should have never left her alone.

Gagged and blindfolded, Levy was being carried by the first man. After around twenty minutes, he set her down and removed her blindfold. They were in a damp cave. She looked up and saw a sinister grin on his face. "Where's the treasure?", he asked. "What are you talking about?", she said, feigning ignorance. "You know exactly what I am talking about. You translated that document for Adam Taylor, but when my associate went to look for it, it wasn't there". "I honestly don't know what you are talking about". "We've been watching the two of you for a while. You made two visits to the Taylor residence, one after my associate searched the place". "You mean ransacked", she said, defensively. "You've got a big mouth for such a small person", he spat. Someone stirred in the corner. "Perfect, Adam is up. Let's see if you can bear to watch him suffer". Saying so, he kicked Adam hard in the sternum. "Please! Don't do that!", yelled Levy. "Tell me where the treasure is and I will stop", saying so, he kicked him twice more. "Stop! Okay, I will tell you", said Levy, through gritted teeth. "Untie me first, and I will take you there". "Nice try", said the man, "I know you're a script wizard, and I'm not risking letting you use your hands".

They got up and left the cave, Levy leading him towards the tallest mountain in the range on the island. The man pulled out a communication lacrima and called his associate. "Alpha, this is Bullseye. Meet us on the tallest mountain on this island", he said. After about an hour's journey, which included a substantial climb (which wasn't easy, since Levy's hands were tied), they finally reached the peak of the mountain. Bullseye recognized the lone figure standing there and said, "Ah, Alpha, you made it!". The one named Alpha turned around, and Levy gasped as they took off their cloak and their hat; it was Delia.

"Finally!", she exclaimed, "Finally, I can get my hands on the treasure. I have been waiting thirty years for this!" "So you were playing us all this time?", Levy asked. "Of course! You think I married that idiot because I loved him? I only married him in the hopes I could get my hands on the treasure his father buried on this island!" "But, even he did not know what that document was, how did you?", Levy asked. "I had read enough to know who his father was and what he had done. Adam, however was bone headed and never bothered to find out. So, I encouraged him to move to his father's old house. When we found the documents, I put in a request for a translator. It was all my doing. I have been waiting a really long time for this. Where is the treasure?" "What is this treasure anyway?", Levy asked. "It's a lacrima", Delia said, her eyes sparkling, "It is said that whoever holds this has their magic power increase more than ten fold". "So, you're a wizard?", asked Levy. "Of course not!", Delia spat. "I want to sell it to the highest bidder and become rich!"

"Enough chitchat. You, girl, tell us where the treasure is. Right now", said Bullseye in an authoritative voice. "Oh, it's not chitchat", said Levy, smiling triumphantly. "I just wanted to stall you long enough for my partner to get here". "What?!", Delia and Bullseye said in unison. "Oh the treasure isn't here", said a manly voice. Before they knew what was happening, there was a slashing sound. They turned around to see Levy free of her bonds, and Gajeel standing next to her, both smiling triumphantly.


End file.
